Which metro areas in North Carolina are people moving to?
Wilmington, NC (25.8 per 1,000 residents), Raleigh-Cary, NC (12.5 per 1,000 residents) and Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC (11.8 per 1,000 residents) drew the most people from the rest of the U.S. for their size among North Carolina metro areas in 2025.
Data as of 2025 · updated
All 10 ranked North Carolina metro areas
| Rank | Metro area | Per 1,000 residents, 2025 | Net movers 2025 | Residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wilmington, NC | 25.8 | +12,719 | 492,772 |
| 2 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | 12.5 | +19,974 | 1,595,720 |
| 3 | Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | 11.8 | +4,447 | 376,890 |
| 4 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 8.3 | +24,404 | 2,938,830 |
| 5 | Winston-Salem, NC | 7.7 | +5,477 | 712,206 |
| 6 | Rocky Mount, NC | 5.3 | +793 | 148,486 |
| 7 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | 3.1 | +2,537 | 805,945 |
| 8 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 1.1 | +663 | 625,485 |
| 9 | Asheville, NC | −1.7 | −734 | 422,345 |
| 10 | Fayetteville, NC | −3.5 | −1,381 | 395,412 |
How this is ranked
Net domestic migration from the Census Bureau's population estimates for 2025: people who moved in from the rest of the U.S. minus people who moved out, per 1,000 residents. Moves between the area's own counties cancel out; moves from and to other countries are not included. Only metropolitan statistical areas of two or more counties are ranked (OMB Bulletin 23-01): a one-county area's figures are its county's, and micro areas are left out. Areas without a figure for the same period as the others are not ranked. An area that crosses a state line is ranked in each of its states.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025). Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how ranks and figures are built.
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Questions
Which metro area in North Carolina gains the most people from the rest of the country?
Wilmington, NC: 25.8 per 1,000 residents, ahead of Raleigh-Cary, NC (12.5 per 1,000 residents) and Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC (11.8 per 1,000 residents), of 10 North Carolina metro areas ranked.
How is this ranking calculated?
Net domestic migration from the Census Bureau's population estimates for 2025: people who moved in from the rest of the U.S. minus people who moved out, per 1,000 residents. Moves between the area's own counties cancel out; moves from and to other countries are not included. Only metropolitan statistical areas of two or more counties are ranked (OMB Bulletin 23-01): a one-county area's figures are its county's, and micro areas are left out. Areas without a figure for the same period as the others are not ranked. An area that crosses a state line is ranked in each of its states.